In this concluding chapter we find fresh instances of that divine wisdom wherewith the apostle was influenced in writing this epistle; improving still more the doctrines he had advanced to practical purposes; in which he gives all ministers of Christ an instructive example of the order and method pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember_ In your prayers and by your help; _them that are in bonds_ Thrown into prison for the sake of Christ, _as_ if you yourselves were _bound with them_ Seeing ye are members one of another; _and them which suffer adversity_ Των κακουχουμενων, _who are ill-treated_, or _afflicted with evil; as... [ Continue Reading ]
_Marriage is honourable in_, or for, _all_ sorts of persons, clergy as well as laity, though the Romanists teach otherwise; _and the bed undefiled_ Consistent with the highest purity. For who can imagine that God would make any thing morally evil absolutely necessary for the support of the human rac... [ Continue Reading ]
From particular duties the apostle proceeds to one which is more general, relating to our whole course of walking with God. _Let your conversation_ Greek, τροπος, _your behaviour_, or manner of living; _be without covetousness_ Αφιλαργυρος, _without the love of money;_ or an inordinate desire of, an... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember them who have the rule over you_ Των ηγουμενων υμων, or, _who are_, or rather, _were, the guides of you_, namely, formerly; _who have spoken_ Or, _who spake; unto you the word of God_ Remember who they were, and your obligations to them; and though all your intercourse with them is for the... [ Continue Reading ]
Men may die, but _Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever_ From everlasting to everlasting: the same in his person and offices, in his love and power, in his truth and grace; the same object of faith; and the same in all respects, to all believers, in all ages; and therefore be stea... [ Continue Reading ]
_We have an altar_ That is, a sacrifice upon an altar, namely, Christ, who was sacrificed on the altar of the cross, who also is the only Christian altar, to which we bring all our sacrifices and services. The apostle, having set forth the only way of the establishment of the heart in faith and holi... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, &c. As if he had said, This was shown figuratively in the law; _for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought_ On the day of atonement; _into the sanctuary_ The holy of holies; _by the high-priest, for sin_ To make expiation of it; _are burned without the camp_ See Leviticus 4:12; and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore Jesus also_ Who was typified by these sin- offerings; _that he might sanctify_ Might make atonement for, and consecrate to God; _the people_ His church, the spiritual Israel of God; _with his own blood_ Carried into the heavenly sanctuary, and presented before the throne of God as a sin-o... [ Continue Reading ]
Having mentioned the _altar_, the apostle now proceeds to speak of the sacrifice. _By him therefore_ Our great High-Priest, though persecuted by our unbelieving brethren, and exposed to many sufferings; _let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually_ For surely we have continual reason, ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_Obey them that have the rule over you_ The expression, τοις ηγουμενοις, implies also, _that lead_ or _guide you_, namely, in truth and holiness; _and submit yourselves_ To them with a becoming respect, even though their office should render it sometimes necessary for them to reprove you for some in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pray for us_ For our freedom and success in preaching the gospel, (see the margin,) and our deliverance from the enemies of the faith; _for_ Though our enemies may meanly insinuate the contrary, and though the doctrine inculcated in this epistle may not be pleasing to some of you; _we trust we have... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now_, &c. Having desired them to pray for him, he now addresses a prayer to God for them, and therewith gives a solemn close to the whole epistle. And a glorious prayer it is, including the whole mystery of divine grace, and that both with respect to its original, and the way of its communication;... [ Continue Reading ]
_I beseech you, brethren_ He subjoins this tender address to his epistle to caution them against losing, through negligence or prejudice, the benefit they might otherwise derive from it; _suffer the word of exhortation_ Or, _consolation_, (for the word παρακλησις signifies either,) addressed to you... [ Continue Reading ]